


Nothing Gold Can Stay

by AlmyranGold



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: All the Golden Deer have at least one line, An actual ship fic? No way, Claude has no idea what makeup is, Claude von Riegan wears makeup, Dimitri only appears at the end but it's pretty obviously shippy, M/M, Me too Claude, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Spoilers for Claude Von Riegan's backstory, This fic is the only time that learning the names of makeup products has helped me, Will I ever write something over 2000 words, if that's not a tag I will make it one, no beta we die like Glenn, the title for this in my docs was "Claude_Wears_Makeup.png"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22159966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmyranGold/pseuds/AlmyranGold
Summary: Hilda wants to do Claude's makeup. The ordeal leads to an unexpected revelation.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 11
Kudos: 122





	Nothing Gold Can Stay

"Have you ever worn makeup, Claude?"

The Golden Deer were eating lunch together when Hilda asked the absurd question. Claude looked up at her and swallowed his stew. "Why would I wear makeup?"

"Uh, because it's fun!" Hilda said, as if that should be obvious. 

"Boys don't really do that, Hilda," Ignatz laughed awkwardly.

"My little sis used to put makeup on me sometimes. Lipstick and stuff. It feels weird on your face," Raphael supplied before taking another huge bite of chicken.

"Not once you're used to it," Hilda insisted. "C'mon, Claude, you should try it! It'll be like I'm your little sister."

"Aren't you older than me? And why are you so insistent on doing it to me? Lysithea's right there," Claude said.

"Don't rope me into this, Claude," Lysithea said. "I've done my time."

"Because I wanna try putting makeup on a guy! I saw someone in the Black Eagle house wearing eyeliner and he looked really good. But it would look weird on Raphael, Ignatz’s glasses are in the way, and the other option is Lorenz."

“What does that mean?” Lorenz sputtered.

Claude had to chuckle at that. He supposed there were worse people to have on his side than a member of House Goneril, even if she was lazy as a fat cat. "Okay, okay, fine. But let me finish my meal first."

Hilda clapped her hands and cheered. Lysithea shook her head and gave Claude a do you know what you're getting into look?

The answer was no.

After dragging him to her room, Hilda pulled out a bag packed with makeup. She pulled out a few trinkets, looking between them and Claude. "Oh," she said.

"What's wrong?" Claude asked.

"Well, I was gonna use some foundation, but-" she popped the cap off of a tube and showed Claude that it was full of pale liquid.

Oh, right. That.

"Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen them sell this stuff in your skin tone," she put the cap back on.

Claude wasn't surprised. For one, his skin was paler than most Almyrans, so there were less people with his tone in general. And Almyran women generally had more concerns than painting their faces. He had watched his mother put on makeup once, when he was very young, but she wiped it off almost as soon as she had it applied. "Doesn't really look like me anymore," she said of her reflection as she picked Claude up. 

But he wasn't about to say any of that, of course. "So does that mean you can't do my makeup?"

"No, I'll just have to skip that step. You've got pretty good skin anyways." She reached back into her bag and pulled out another tube, but this one had bright red liquid.

"That doesn't look any closer to my skin tone," he said.

"This is lipstick, silly," she replied. She twisted the cap off to reveal an attached stick covered in the sickly red.

"Uh, I don't think that'd look good on me," he said.

She looked between him and the lipstick. "Meh, I guess you're right. This is my favorite shade too. I bet a nude would do better…"

"I am not taking my clothes off," he said. 

Hilda snorted. "A nude lipstick. It just makes your lips shinier."

"Oh." He kept quiet as Hilda applied the clear liquid. When she pulled away, he licked his lips on instinct. It tasted a little fruity.

"Don't do that!" She nagged, pulling the tube back out. "At least give it a moment to get settled."

"Sorry, sorry." He held his hands up in mock surrender. 

She reapplied the lipstick, and Claude was careful not to lick it off this time.

"You really don't know anything about makeup, huh? Boys," she rolled her eyes.

She pulled out a few more tubes and tins, applying what she called mascara, eyeshadow, and eyeliner. Claude was repeatedly berated for flinching when she touched his eyes with the strange brushes, but eventually, she seemed satisfied with her work. She wheeled Claude over to her wardrobe mirror to show him her handiwork.

Claude was a little stunned at the sight. For one, he still wasn't used to seeing his reflection so clearly. The Almyran castle knew only two mirrors- one in the room where his father dressed, and a small one kept hidden away by his mother. The average Almyran didn't own a mirror at all- the one in his father's room was exclusively for preparing for post-battle speeches. Claude had spent most of his childhood only seeing himself in the ripples of lakes. But in Fodlan, there seemed to be a mirror every ten feet. Hilda alone owned three.

For another thing, Claude didn't expect this much… glitter. The eyeshadow she picked out for him was a shiny gold, and she had been generous with it. It reminded him a bit too much of the woman he'd run into the first time he was wandering the capitol late at night, the one who'd asked him if he was looking for a good time.

If he looked past that, though, he actually didn't mind the eyeliner. It made his green eyes stand out more- and while they'd been something to be ashamed of in Almyra, here in Fodlan, they were a claim to his royal heritage. The mascara was nice as well. It showed off his long eyelashes.

"Whaddya think?" Hilda asked.

"Eh, it's not bad," he replied.

"Not bad? This is better than 'not bad,' Claude!" She threw her hands up exasperatedly. "Men."

"Oh, I'm sorry, let me try again. It's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, Hilda!" 

"You're darn right it is. Now c'mon, let's go show the others."

"Show the others? I thought this was just for you to practice," he said.

"Claude, there's literally no point in wearing makeup if no one sees you in it! C'mon, let's go!" And with that, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the stairs.

And that's how Claude found himself standing in front of his classmates covered in makeup.

Hilda proudly gestured at the house leader. "So?"

Claude mentally reminded that House Goneril was right on the border of Fodlan's Throat. Then he plastered on a grin and posed with his hand under his chin, every inch the perfect model.

There was a beat of silence.

"It's, um, very gold, Hilda," Ignatz finally commented.

Leonie cleared her throat. "You kind of look like a…"

"Prostitute?" Raphael supplied.

"Raphael!" Ignatz covered his mouth with his hand. 

"Oh, sorry. Was I not supposed to say that?"

"It was crude," Lorenz mused. "...But not, if you’ll excuse my saying so, completely off the mark."

"You all are mean! He does not look like a prostitute," Hilda pouted. “Does he, Marianne?”

“Oh. Um… no?” Marianne tried.

Hilda turned Claude back around to face her. Her incredulous look fell. "Oh. I guess he kinda does?"

Claude kind of wanted to tear his hair out, but he laughed instead. "I think it's just a bit too much gold, Hilda. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.”

"I bet you're right. I'll get it next time!" She grinned.

Wait, next time? What had he just signed up for?

Lysithea grinned the smug grin of someone who was no longer Hilda's go-to test dummy. Claude stuck his tongue out at the girl. He was totally going to spook her for that. 

There was a natural lull in the conversation after that, so all the Deer heard the footsteps of someone entering the classroom. Claude looked up to see Dimitri approaching, letter in his hand.

"Greetings, Claude. I hope I'm not interrupting any-" Dimitri stopped dead in his tracks when he made eye contact with the other house leader. 

Claude quickly tried to gauge the situation. He hadn't quite gotten to all the nuances of Fodlan's politics, but he was pretty sure the future Sovereign Duke wasn’t supposed to wear heavy makeup in front of the future King of Faerghus. Or at all, actually. He certainly knew how it would be viewed in Almyra, but he pushed that thought down.

Well, he couldn't exactly make Dimitri unsee it at this point. 

"Hey, your princeliness. What's up?" He crossed his legs and leaned back casually.

The Prince of Faerghus stuttered for a moment, and- was he blushing?

"The professor wanted me to bring you this," he finally said. He pushed an envelope towards Claude. 

"Oh, thanks."

"Of course." He nodded awkwardly- yup, he was definitely blushing. He hurried out the door and out of sight.

The Deer were all silent for a moment.

A grin crept across Claude's face.

"Hilda, where do you get your makeup?"

**Author's Note:**

> Hilda and Claude aren't quite bros yet in this fic, but they'll get there.
> 
> Claude's makeup is based on the makeup my color guard team apparently thought was nice, and trust me, it's awful. It looks like a baby bird ate a gold glitter capsule and then vomited it directly onto your eyelid. What were you thinking, Hilda? Regardless, Dimitri's still losing his mind because the boy has no idea how to handle a crush.
> 
> I read a fic with the headcanon that there aren't many mirrors in Almyra and I thought it was fitting. If I find that fic again I'll link it!
> 
> Also, I finally actually wrote something with a ship! Mild as it is.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> EDIT: The lovely Autumn-Sacura made some wonderful art for this piece! Check it out here:  
> https://imgur.com/WRzOqan


End file.
